NHTSA Complaint #10953884 — 2011 TOYOTA TACOMA

AFTER RECALL/ REPLACEMENT OF REAR LEAF SPRINGS, WITH NEW 5 LEAF UNITS, THE TRUCK SAGS UNDER LOAD, RIDES AS ROUGH W/O CARGO COMPARED TO PRIOR 3 LEAF (THICKER) SET. THE TRUCK WAS NOT 4 WHEEL ALIGNED TO SPEC AND TOYOTA IS NOT VERIFYING THIS DONE, THE DRIVELINE HAS TORSION WRAP OR JERKY-SHUDDER UPON FULL STOP NOW, AS IF DAMAGED IN THE PROCESS. THE TRUCK WITH SIDE WINDS AND GROVES IN THE ROAD IMMEDIATELY AFTER THIS WORK AND WITH TWO DIFFERENT NEW SETS OF MICHELINS (CHANGED THE SAME DAY THE SUSPENSION WORK WAS DONE), SHIFTED OFF LANE VIOLENTLY. COSTCO LOCALLY SAYS I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO COMPLAINED ABOUT THE TIRES SO SWITCHED ME TO HIGHER SPEED RATED ONES (BUT I DO NOT DRIVE AT HIGH SPEEDS, I DRIVE CONSERVATIVELY). A LOCALLY WELL REGARDED TIRE-ALIGNMENT SHOP RECHECKED THE ALIGNMENT AND FOUND IT WAS INCORRECT THOUGH MERCED TOYOTA INSISTS IT PASSED THEIR "GREEN" ZONE ON WHAT LOOKED TO BE OFF-CALIBRATED HUNTER MACHINE. FROM THE RESULTS OF THIS MACHINE, THE SERVICE MANAGER AND MECHANIC BOTH STATED MY TRUCK'S FRAME WAS DAMAGED (SO WHY BOTHER WITH ALIGNMENT?). THIS WAS SUBSEQUENTLY CHECKED BY A BODY REPAIR SHOP WITH PROPER EQUIPMENT TO BE FOUND TO BE WITHIN ONE DIME'S THICKNESS DIFFERENT FROM RAIL TO RAIL, I.E. NO DAMAGE WHATSOEVER. TOYOTA WANTS ME TO RETURN TO THIS FAULTY DEALERSHIP EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE TWO OTHERS W/ IN 60 MILES FROM MERCED CA. TOYOTA REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ISSUE, REFUSES TO PAY FOR VERIFYING THE DEALERSHIP'S ISSUES. I SUSPECT THE SPRING SET USED IN THIS RECALL DOES NOT MATCH MY VERSION OF TRUCK, A TRD SPORT ACCESS CAB WHICH IS 300 LBS MORE CAPABLE IN SPRINGING IF THE CHARTS ARE CORRECT. ALL COMBINED, THE PROBLEMS ARE NOT SOLVED AND THE RIDE HAS BECOME DANGEROUS, ONE I HAVE TO CONSTANTLY CORRECT, ONE THAT FOLLOWS THE RUTS IN THE ROAD AND IS MUCH MUCH MORE DANGEROUSLY SENSITIVE TO SIDE WIND GUSTS ON THE FREEWAYS + LESS LOAD CAPACITY.